The second weekend of September remained red-hot for New Englanders on the ultramarathon racing scene. Here in Massachusetts, runners took on the rugged Free to Run Trail Races at Pittsfield State Forest, but the Bay State wasn’t the only spot where New Englanders raced. There was plenty of ultramarathon action in New Hampshire where runners tackled 50 miles at Kilkenny Ridge or 50K at the Pisgah Mountain Trail Races. Additionally, runners in the Northeast tackled ultras in New York and Pennsylvania. We have all those races covered here in Part I of this week’s roundup. In Part II, we’ll head to the Midwest and the West. 

Kilkenny Ridge

A year after severe weather forced the Kilkenny Ridge 50-miler to be reduced to only a 25-mile race, the event returned to its usual ultramarathon distance offering on Saturday, Sept. 14, in Stark, N.H. The sixth edition of the event once challenged runners with an out-and-back run along the 25-mile Kilkenny Ridge Trail, amassing around 15,000 feet of climbing by the time they were done. The one-way trip was also offered, along with a new 25K race.

Of the 40 runners who started the 50-miler, 32 finished within 24 hours. Andrew Wojciak, 26, of Goffstown, N.H., led all runners in 11:41:49 and Sam Locke, 27, of Goffstown, N.H., followed in 12:58:15. Samuel Ouellette, 35, of Rosemere, Quebec, rounded out the men’s podium in 12:58:45. Will Morris, 19, of Wayland, Mass., also had a strong race, finishing in the top 10 with a seventh-place effort in 14:32:28.

Taylor Miller dominated the women’s field as the 34-year-old from Gilford, N.H., won comfortably in 14:32:43. A close battle played out for second, with 32-year-old Katery Hyatt, 32, of Coventry, Conn., holding off 46-year-old Lenka Matejkova of Lebanon, Maine, by less than a minute. Hyatt finished in 16:57:39 and Matejkova followed in 16:58:21. Elizabeth Faye, 41, of Randolph, Mass., was fourth in 17:22:57, and Meg Miller, 27, of Glen, N.H., finished fifth in 18:25:31.

Another 56 runners completed the 25-mile race, with Louis-Philippe Marchand, 37, of Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, and Rachel Peck, 31, of South Portland, Maine, leading the men’s and women’s fields in 5:20:55 and 7:12:26, respectively. Additionally, the event added a 25K race this year, and 24-year-old Max Perozek of Brookline, Mass., led all runners in 2:43:49 while 31-year-old Haley Heinrich of Newbury, N.H., placed third overall and first in the women’s field in 2:54:29.

Pisgah Mountain Trail Races

The Pisgah Mountain Trail Races returned to their original single-loop course for the 22nd edition of the event on Sunday, Sept. 15, in Chesterfield, N.H.

The 50K race tested runners with 4,700 feet of climbing on the trails of Pisgah State Park.. Forty-three runners finished within nine hours, led by 30-year-old John Deguardi of Keene, N.H., in 4:32:12. Multi-time champion David Herr, 59, of CAnaan, Vt., was second in 4:39:50, and Ryan Koski-Vacirca, 32, of Fairfield, N.H., was a distant third in 5:05:26. Ian Hart, 35, of Swanzey, N.H., Karl Gottschalk, 32, of Keene, N.H., and Brian Rusiecki, 45, of South Deerfield, Mass., rounded out the men’s top six in 5:07:43, 5:09:33 and 5:09:55, respectively.

In the women’s field, 25-year-old Grace Leightheiser earned her first ultramarathon victory in 5:38:44, building upon a third-place finish at the 2023 Jigger Johnson 50-miler. Diana Androic, 42, of Brooklyn, N.Y., was a distant second in 6:01:04, and 33-year-old Claire Torchiana of New York, N.Y., rounded out the podium in 6:36:40. Abby Reisner, 31, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Amy Neal, 39, of Chesterfield, N.H., were a close fourth and fifth in 6:40:08 and 6:40:54, respectively.

Another 39 runners completed the event’s 23K race, with 38-year-old Shaun Donegan of Malta, N.Y., and 47-year-old Rebecca Finnegan leading the men’s and women’s fields in 1:39:00 and 2:24:42, respectively.

Virgil Crest Ultras

Jeffrey Deady earned his first 100-mile finish at the 12th edition of the Virgil Crest Ultras on Sept. 14-15 in Cortland, N.Y.

Deady was one of just 12 runners to complete the race and its 22,000 feet of climbing within 34 hours. Deady, 48, of Hingham, Mass., placed fifth overall and fourth in the men’s field in 29:42:42. Kody Wolfer, 29, of Freedom, N.Y., was first overall in 27:49:25, and first-place female Bianca Pourmussa, 24, of Philadelphia, Pa., was the overall runner-up in 28:09:13.

In addition to the 100-miler, the event also offered 100K, 50-mile and 50K ultras. Twelve runners finished the 50-miler, with 31-year-old Nick Guerin of Baldwinsville, N.Y., and Francisca Banahene, 34, of Groton, N.Y., leading the men’s and women’s fields in 9:53:47 and 19:59:52, respectively. Jack Small, 36, of Durham, Conn., finished fourth in 13:27:18, and 72-year-old John Lavoie of Arlington, Vt., was 11th in 19:52:15.

Another six runners completed the 50K race, led by 33-year-old Ryan Allen-Parrot of Burdett, N.Y., in 6:42:04. Matthew Austin, 40, of Terryville, Conn., was the lone New Englander in the field. He finished fifth in 10:39:17. Additionally, five runners completed the 100K race; none were New Englanders.

Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run

Two New England women earned podium finishes at the 10th annual Shawangunk Ridge Trail Run 70-mile and 30-mile ultras on Saturday, Sept. 14, in Rosendale, N.Y.

Kathrin Alber, 31, of Jaffrey, N.H., made her ultra debut nine days prior and finished third at the Wakely Dam Ultra 55K in New York. She returned to the Empire State for her second ultra at the Shawangunk 30-miler and once again secured a spot on the podium. Alber finished 16th overall and second in the women’s field in 7:53:34. She was joined on the podium by 19-year-old Emma Drumm of Boston, Mass. Drumm made her ultra debut and finished third in the women’s field, tied for 19th overall, in 8:09:27.

Matt Decker, 41, of Chelsea, N.Y., and Claire Davenport, 44, of New York, N.Y., were the top male and female finishers in 6:23:55 and 7:01:20, respectively.

Other New Englanders among the finishers were 31-year-old Joshua Myers of Lincoln, Mass., who finished 17th in 8:03:03; 20-year-old Ryan Strawbridge of Taunton, Mass., who tied Drumm in 8:09:27; 20-year-old Evan Clifford of Northborough, Mass., who was 21st in 8:09:28; 55-year-old Daniel Foster of Sharon, Conn., who was 35th in 9:04:56; and 50-year-old Jeremy Autry of Fairfield, Conn., who was 59th in 11:43:24.

Sixty-four runners finished the 30-miler within 12 1/2 hours. Another nine completed the 70-miler; no New England residents competed at that distance.

Boulder Field 100

The Boulder Field 100 returned for its ninth year of offering 100K and 50K ultramarathons on a 50K loop course at Hickory Run State Park on Saturday, Sept. 14, in Jim Thorpe, Pa.

Twenty-five runners finished the event’s 100K race; none of the competitors at that distance were New England residents. Another 144 finished the 50K, including Carol Fague. It was Fague’s first ultramarathon, and the 42-year-old from Clinton, Mass., successfully completed it. Of the 144 runners who finished within 13 hours, Fague placed 112th in 8:19:27.

Chris Lewars, 37, of Broomall, Pa., led all runners in 3:59:56. Amanda Wiczynski, 41, of Mayfield, Pa., placed seventh overall and first in the women’s field in 5:38:01.

*Editor’s Note: Results are found on a variety of sites, including ultrasignup.com, UltraRunning Magazine, and official race websites. We do the best we can to find as many results as possible to report on and recognize the local ultrarunning community.